Simple dance is gracefully.

Growing up in the Internet era, we ourselves are actually growing together with the widely spread vlogs. Not surprisingly, many potential clients come with a lovely video and request to have a replicate of it on their Big Day. 

For us, this is very convenient since we don't need to write a choreo anymore. 

Even some of these reference videos are out of our profession, the ultimate Internet can always support us with various 'tutorials', thus we have no problems towards new areas of dance. And luckily complete beginners usually would not choose those very spectacular videos, and this actually makes our work much easier. 

Every professional dancer knows that the basics is the most important and fundamental part of a dance genre. Those unfamiliar movements and dance patterns not only surprise our potential clients, but also inspire us- after completing the requested replicate, the newly learned moves can be incorporated into our next choreo. 

All go well. 

Everyone seems pleased. 

Except one thing. 

Those dance pieces from the reference videos look easy. But no, it's just easier said than done. 

Dance patterns look simple, but when you want to present it elegantly, its not that easy. 

And then this proves one simple truth- Less is more. 

Simple is graceful. Even a simple dance is a graceful art. 

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The Resourceful Internet

Browsing through Internet has become a daily habit for modern people, watching YouTube video is even a must for some people. Undoubtedly YouTube is indeed a very powerful tool when you want to check the latest trend of things. 

Thus when couples are getting ready for their wedding dance, they will naturally turn to this resourceful app; and this makes our teaching full of interesting ideas, plus manageable challenges. 

We can create choreo with a wider variety of elements, since the internet offer such a wide variety of references. We may get requests about teaching the dances we don't know, because potential clients feel like they can learn whatever they have watched online. 

We are still the lucky ones. We can learn the dance styles we are not familiar with. It really helps stimulate our creativity.

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After remembering the moves, still you can't dance

There are a number of such requests-

 

We are complete beginners;

We want to learn an easy 2-minute dance.

We have three weeks' time.

Not really demanding, as three weeks' time is in fact quite enough for a 2-minute routine. And i do think that 4 to 5 sessions would be enough to learn a routine slightly harder than the simplest one. 

But starting from the second session, problems emerge-  

We have been busy. 

We only practice once.

Um... Since I am quite experienced with the too-busy-to-practice problem, I usually won't write too complicated choreography.

For me I am okay to have a 20-minute's revision before teaching new moves. Most learners also do not mind doing this. 

A structured choreography is usually not hard to remember, I sometimes see learners recite every move and step, undoubtedly this helps remember the sequence. However, the memory in the brain is needed but what matters most is to let the body remembers- once your body knows how to move, you don't need to know remember anything.

Muscle memory is important. Everyone knows, even learners themselves knows and keeps saying this in class. But so what? 

The reality is, they seldom practice between classes, simply because they are too busy to practice. 

And the whole thing becomes a dead knot. 

 

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To Dance and To Teach

I can dance doesn't mean that I can teach. 

To be a great dance teacher, you need to be a good dancer yourself, plus many more include anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, psychology, methodology...

With all these above, one can develop a self-subsistent system that leads to a grand presenter in terms of dancing on a long run. 

However, without great eloquence one can't express and explain his/her dancing skills. Teaching skills is not a thing that you talk and then the other can just thoroughly understand. You need to first be a living example first, and with wonderful communication skills and motivational mindset, so that the learners can be encouraged both physically and mentally. 

Besides, individual difference is also a challenge since not everyone has the same talent; individual approach is essential when teaching in class. A technique could be tough to someone, but just easy as pie to others. 

Same can be applied to competition dancers. 

A champion is of course a good dancer, and a good learner, undoubtedly a very intelligent dancer with comprehensive knowledge about dancing. But it doesn't mean that a good competitor can explain the movements and motions. Same logic, a good competitor may not be able to find an individual approach to every student. 

In short, 'To Dance' and 'To Teach' are two related but not positively correlated concepts. 

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Oh it looks like I have learned these moves before...

There are many different dance genres. Each dance genre has its own syllabus and standard of qualification system. 

However, when a person enters a dance area from another dance area, usually s/he finds the dance moves look very familiar, and they all seem to be something they have learned before. 

The truth is, it's not 'looking like something have been learned', it's exactly the thing they have learned before. 

Why? 

Long time ago I blogged about the evolution history of dance. Taka a glance at the evolutionary history then one can tell the reason why dances share some common figures. 

However similar the patterns look even in different dances, they are not presented the same.

Take Change of Places as an example, when it is performed in Tango, the timing is QQS QQS with a sharp twist. While in Foxtrot, timing keeps QQS QQS but with a small bounce action in between. And compared to the one incorporated canter hesitation timing in Viennese Waltz and become 123 123 123 123. 

Basically, this is one same figure, but applying the characteristic of a particular dance, one can obviously tell which dance genre it is grouped into.  

Take a closer look at the other dances, then we can find another Change of Places in Jive. This jivy figure looks similar to those in the above three dances, but not too similar- the jivy one gets a rock step and chasse. 

Common figures is more common than one can imagine. Because of this, when one takes a few sessions in Swing, then shifts to a Salsa floor, plus some experience in Cha Cha Cha afterwards, then this dancer may feel like s/he every moves in the dance world!

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To have a Musical Choreography

Novice dancers who approach the studio with specific purpose are usually not keen dancers- easy to understand as the keen ones must have already enrolled dance sessions. 

Entitled 'dance instructor', I have no choices but to write a reasonable routine which suits the learners' level. This wiuld be the ideal case. 

Things are not always ideal. 

Most of the time, they come without a clue on their song choices. 'We want to try out different tempo and styles before making any decisions.' they said. 

Um... Also unstandable. If I were the learner, I would also request the same. 

However, from the view point of an instructor, this is not friendly at all. 

I in fact would like to have a song and write a structured choreo in advance. If I know the song in advance, I can fit the quiet moments with slightest movements, match the high pitches with more exciting moves. This way, I can ensure the product to be more musical. 

In spite of my preferring to having a structured routine, learner couples may like to have a try on various approaches to test their own preference and abilities. 

Therefore, during the first class we may have a few short routines that consist of only the basics. I myself am fine with this, but to be honest, these short patterns can only let complete beginners the slightest feeling towards the dance style, it would be quite impossible to see if the dance style fit the songs played. 

Why? 

Because we can do any Watlz figures to any songs with time signatures 3/4, 6/8, 12/8... Same is true to apply any four-beat patterns to any songs with time signatures 2/4, 4/4, 12/8...

We can apply the steps to a few bars of music, but we can't fit the same sequence to every song, simply because we can't tell when to end the verse, when to start the chorus, whether there is a tag... 

There are too many uncertainties. 

Think about it, if we can apply the same amalgamation yo any songs, there is no future for choreographers at all. 

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A Distorted Learning Pattern

Unlike those who learn dancing as a hobby, those who learn to dance for a particular purpose may have a distorted learning pattern. 

Let take the wedding couples as an instance, they have their own jobs and dancing may not be a true hobby for them.

Rather than learning it as a hobby, many treat this as a typical sections program taught on the rundown. It is needed; for many it is also wanted; but we can't ignore the fact that dancing for them is not an interest at first sight.

Yes, even during the process they may find that it is not as hard as they thought, it is still far from falling in love with it. 

Combining all factors, having dance classes becomes a result of compacting all other plants. 

Learning a tailor-made first dance choreography is definitely different from having regular interest classes. It is because they need a unique routine, good group class is not suitable, and thus private sections are needed.

However, group classes are fixed on our schedule, clients need to squeeze themselves in between. And the problem is that if a number of couples booking at the same time, the result is obvious- it is impossible to having classes on a regular basis.

It is easy to understand why a lot of wedding couples are having a distorted learning pattern.

Although we have already accepted this fact common we still want to maintain a reasonable level of learning efficiency. 

How?

The solution is easy. 

Practice.

The golden old saying 'Practice makes Perfect' tells the truth. 

If you want to have more than a watchable performance on the big day, all you need to do is to practice.

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